Amazon Echo vs. Amazon Tap vs. Echo Dot – Guide & Reviews

Amazon Echo vs. Amazon Tap vs. Echo Dot

Amazon has a lineup of three cylindrical, WiFi-connected devices: Amazon Echo, Amazon Tap and Echo Dot. When these three devices are next to each other, they could be categorized as small (Echo Dot), medium (Amazon Tap) and large (Amazon Echo), based on their heights. However, the differences among these three devices aren’t limited to height; each device is designed for specific environment – Echo for your home/kitchen, Tap for “on-the-go” uses, and, Dot as an enhancement to your current audio setup.

Amazon released Amazon Echo in 2014 as a cylinder-shaped hands-free speaker that you can control with your voice. It has been a huge success. The new devices, Echo Dot and Amazon Tap, offer slightly different features in Amazon’s effort to reach even more customers.

Amazon’s Echo Dot is essentially the same as Amazon Echo, except that Dot lacks Echo’s full size speaker. Dot can connect to external speakers over Bluetooth or with the included audio cable. Dot also has a small built-in speaker.

Amazon Tap is Amazon’s effort to make Echo portable. Tap is wireless, more portable and more affordable version of Echo.

As you can see Amazon released Dot and Tap to reach audience that was not catered by Echo before. We dive into further details and differences among each of these devices in the reviews below.

Amazon Echo Review

Amazon Echo

Amazon Echo is 9.25-inch tall hands free cylinder speaker that you can control with your voice. It responds to the wake word ‘Alexa’. When you want to use Echo, simply say the word “Alexa”. Echo then lights up and immediately responds to your request. This wake word can be changed to either “Amazon” or “Echo”.

When connected via WiFi, you can use your voice commands to do a lot of things such as playing your music, answering questions, reading audiobooks and the news, weather and traffic reports, sports scores and schedules, and so on.

Echo is bluetooth-enabled. You are able to stream music and video from any other bluetooth enabled devices such as your phone or tablet.

Echo integrates with other apps and services to make your home ‘smarter’. You can control thermostats, switches, lights, etc. simply using your voice.

Echo’s built in array of 7 microphones allow it to hear you from across the room.

It’s has a great speaker that will fill your room with 360 degree multi-direction immersive audio.

Echo is constantly improving by integrating with other apps and adding new ‘skills’. You can discover and choose the skills that you want enabled in the Alexa app. You can then order pizza from Dominos, request a ride from Uber, open your Garage door, and many other things by simply using your voice commands.

Amazon Echo Setup

Amazon Tap Review

Amazon Tap

Unlike Amazon Echo, Amazon Tap is not on “Always on standby” mode. You can’t say “Alexa” to wake it up. You need to physically “tap” the microphone button and then ask Alexa – hence the name “Tap”. Other than the tap, it can do everything that Amazon Echo can.

However, the main difference between the Tap and the Echo is that Amazon Tap is wireless, and therefore portable. It’s compact size and weight of a pound makes it easy to take it wherever you go.

A single charge will give you 9 full hours of continuous playback, so you do not have to worry wherever you are. When the battery is low, Alexa will remind you by saying “Just so you know, the battery is currently low.” Recharging is effortless using the including charging cradle.

Amazon Tap is being released on March 31, 2016 for $130. You can pre-order here .

Amazon Tap Setup

Echo Dot Review

Amazon Echo Dot

At just 1.6 inches, Echo Dot is the smallest of the devices in Amazon Echo series. You can think of it as the topmost part of Amazon Echo (without the large speaker), equally as smart and only half the price.

Like Echo, Dot supports always-on Alexa. So you can use the Alexa Voice Service to play music, get information, control smart devices, and all things Echo. Dot can even hear you from across the room with far-field voice recognition, so you can use the device from a distance.

The cool thing is that you can place several of Dots around the house. They will act as voice-command centers for each of those rooms – which means – Alexa will understand your commands from far across the room despite background sounds such as kids screaming, music or TV.

Dot comes with a small built-in speaker that you can use for basic purposes such as an alarm clock or a kitchen assistant but it won’t do much until you connect Dot to external speakers.

The main difference between the Dot and Echo is that it does not have the full size speaker. However you can seamlessly integrate Dot with your personal audio setup via Bluetooth or audio cables. It can connect with any Bluetooth-enabled devices such as your smartphone or tablet.

Echo Dot is currently available exclusively for Prime members through Alexa Voice Shopping for around $90. To order your Echo Dot, use your Amazon Echo or Amazon Fire TV and just ask:

“Alexa, order an Echo Dot.“

How to order Echo Dot without an Amazon Echo?

CNET discovered a way to bypass this Amazon’s restriction and order Echo Dot via Amazon Shopping App.

To pre-order the Echo Dot:

Open the Amazon shopping pp

Tap the microphone icon to start a voice search, then say, “Add Echo Dot to shopping cart.” That should take you to a search result with the Add to Cart button enabled.

Why has Amazon Echo / Alexa become such a hit?

What Amazon is trying to accomplish is impressive. When I was a kid we had the Clapper. You clapped your hands to turn the lights on and off. Now smart home hubs attempt to do the same thing through a very tedious process – you must enable Bluetooth, go into the app, select the device you wish to maneuver and then click the device in charge of your lights.

It doesn’t take a genius to know it’s easier to just ask Echo or Dot to turn off the lights than to click a bunch of things first.

This is perhaps why Echo has become such a hit – not because it can turn lights on and off, but because it aims to raise the IQ of your living quarters as a whole using your words in context and within less than a second.

The number of skills that Alexa can perform was just six back in August when the API was made available to developers. Alexa can now perform more than 300 skills and it’s growing every day. Amazon has been focused on bulding and updating the Echo/Alexa platform and you can be sure many more integrations with a wide variety of smart devices will be coming up soon. The ultimate goal here is, of course, to make everything connected such that they seamlessly talk to each other.

Amazon Echo Commands

Amazon Echo Commands & Easter Eggs

Echo Basic Commands

Here is a list of the basic commands for Amazon Echo / Alexa (thanks to user jayceelei on reddit):

Amazon Echo Remote

The Amazon Echo Remote is wireless, voice-enabled, battery-powered remote control. A directional track pad on the remote allows you to quickly and easily control audio playback on your Amazon Echo. It includes buttons for volume up, volume down, play/pause, previous, and next.

The remote connects to Amazon Echo via Bluetooth.

It includes an integrated microphone which comes in very handy when you are a little too far for Echo to hear you (or if it’s too noisy).

When using the remote, you do not need to say the wake word (“Alexa”). Press and hold the “Talk” button until you hear a tone, keep pressing the button and speak into the microphone. When you are done, simply release the button.

When you purchase the remote, you get a magnetic holder and a set of 2 AAA batteries.

Note that Echo only works with one remote at a time. The remote needs to be setup / paired. Here are the directions to pair the Amazon Echo Remote.

Conclusion

Amazon Echo vs. Amazon Tap vs. Echo Dot – what should you get?

Amazon Echo is perfect if you need a smart personal assistant for your home that is always on, always listening. It will give you quick access to your music and other media. You will be able to turn your home into a voice-enabled smart home and control lights, thermostat etc. and ask all sorts of “smart” questions about traffic, weather, sports, news and so on.

Amazon Tap Amazon Tap is great if you need something like Amazon Echo “on-the-go”. It does everything that Echo does but it is wireless. Since it’s not plugged in, it’s not on “always listening” mode. You have to tap the microphone to give your voice commands. Tap is perfect to enjoy it outdoors.

Echo Dot is a smaller, affordable version of Echo that does everything That Amazon Echo does but at half the price. Dot is ideal if you already have audio setup, or don’t really care for Echo’s large speaker and simply want to get something that you can use with your own speakers, get Echo Dot.